Back to Genealogy Basics – Death Records

Death certificates can provide valuable information on your ancestor such as a full name, spouse’s name, parents’ names and more. Be sure to check when the recording of death certificates began in the area you are researching. Do not waste time looking for a death certificate when none were created. In North Carolina, death certificates did not begin until 1909 with a few being found.

Another important point about death certificates needs to be considered. Death certificates are considered secondary sources. In other words, the information provided on the death certificate came from someone else who was reporting facts. This person may or may not have had first hand knowledge about the deceased. The informant could have been a spouse, an adult child, a friend, an in-law or even a medical record.

Detailed Look at a Death Certificate

Note: Information found on a death certificate will vary from state to state, but the basics are the same.

Date of Birth —-> 25 May 1858 – This provides a clue for where to find other records on Emma.

Age at Death —-> 71 years, 2 months and 25 days (It is so nice when they do the math for you!)

Place of Birth —-> Moore County, NC – This location will give clues where to start looking for other family members as well.

Occupation—-> Emma was a housewife. For males, knowing their occupation can lead to other clues on their location or records in professional organizations.

Father’s Name and Place of Birth —-> In Emma Howard’s case, her father was not known, at least publicly. Emma was born out of wedlock. When the father’s name is known, the researcher can progress back a generation.

Mother’s Name and Place of Birth —–> Jane Thomas was Emma’s mother. Prior to her marriage, Emma’s maiden name was Emma Thomas. (This information was from the family Bible and was not gleaned from her death certificate.) With an “unknown father” and having her mother’s maiden name, this is consistent with the family’s oral history of Emma being illegitimate.

Informant —-> A. S. Howard. Pay attention to the informant. Know his or her relationship to the deceased. In this case, the informant is Emma’s husband. Since he would have known her and her family well the information is considered strong.

Death Date —-> 10 August 1929 at 6:30pm. This places Emma at a specific point in time and place.

Place of Burial —–> Baptist Chapel, Sanford, NC. If the location is not too far, you can visit and search for the gravestone. Look for who else is buried close by. You may find other family members. In the case of Emma Howard, many Howard relatives and generations are buried there. It turns out the land for the church and its cemetery were part of the Howard family farm.

Undertaker —–> Knowing the undertaker and/or funeral home handling the deceased can lead you to possible funeral home records.

Remember: Just as with the birth record, ask yourself what other records about this individual/family does the death record point to. For example, this death certificate states Emma Howard’s husband was A. S. Howard. This should prompt a search for their marriage certificate in Moore County (Lee County was not formed until 1907) and surrounding counties.

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Wonderful Detailed Reports

“After both my parents died, I thought my links to my family history were lost forever. I turned to a genealogy website to try to track down information about my heritage, and found evidence that I qualified to be a Daughter of the American Revolution. Knowing that the official paperwork would require documentation of my ancestors, I turned to Lisa Lisson (no relation) for assistance. She helped track down the links between my Patriot ancestor and me, and helped me to submit my documents to become a Daughter of the American Revolution. Lisa also sent me wonderful detail-filled reports on different members of my family. I have built quite a collection of reprints of family history books based on the sources she found. Lisa’s reports and my book collection will be a resource for my young nephews when they get older and begin asking about where they came from. I can share stories of Puritans and farmers and witchcraft and Irish butchers and Indian raids and pioneers!”

Kathleen L.

2016-09-05T15:10:44+00:00

Kathleen L.

“After both my parents died, I thought my links to my family history were lost forever. I turned to a genealogy website to try to track down information about my heritage, and found evidence that I qualified to be a Daughter of the American Revolution. Knowing that the official paperwork would require documentation of my ancestors, I turned to Lisa Lisson (no relation) for assistance. She helped track down the links between my Patriot ancestor and me, and helped me to submit my documents to become a Daughter of the American Revolution. Lisa also sent me wonderful detail-filled reports on different members of my family. I have built quite a collection of reprints of family history books based on the sources she found. Lisa’s reports and my book collection will be a resource for my young nephews when they get older and begin asking about where they came from. I can share stories of Puritans and farmers and witchcraft and Irish butchers and Indian raids and pioneers!”

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A Partner In Research

I have been a family history researcher for over 30 years ever since my father left me his notes on his family. Since then I have worked with a number of other researchers who have helped me find good sources as I am a stickler for documentary proof of facts.
I consider myself very fortunate to have come in contact with Lisa Lisson. She is diligent and clever about finding those small bits of data that connect people in obscure past records. Beyond that, Lisa is a joy to work with, adaptable, insightful and flexible. She takes a suggestion and works it into a plan of action adapted to my schedule and budget. Above all she is honest about what is possible and prudent in terms of cost and results. I have come to consider her a partner in my work.

Jim S.

2016-09-05T15:17:32+00:00

Jim S.

I have been a family history researcher for over 30 years ever since my father left me his notes on his family. Since then I have worked with a number of other researchers who have helped me find good sources as I am a stickler for documentary proof of facts. I consider myself very fortunate to have come in contact with Lisa Lisson. She is diligent and clever about finding those small bits of data that connect people in obscure past records. Beyond that, Lisa is a joy to work with, adaptable, insightful and flexible. She takes a suggestion and works it into a plan of action adapted to my schedule and budget. Above all she is honest about what is possible and prudent in terms of cost and results. I have come to consider her a partner in my work.

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Thank You!

Thank you for the great ideas and the incentive to get what photos we have identified. I know I have photos from that my grandmother saved that are not marked in any way and no one seems to know who they are. She didn’t share them during her lifetime, but they were found after she passed away.

Michelle T.

2016-09-05T15:25:58+00:00

Michelle T.

Thank you for the great ideas and the incentive to get what photos we have identified. I know I have photos from that my grandmother saved that are not marked in any way and no one seems to know who they are. She didn’t share them during her lifetime, but they were found after she passed away.

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